Shaft or rod coupling



Jan. 6, 1925; 1,522,417

CHRIS TER COCK SHAFT OR ROD COUPLING Filed Jan. ll, 1924 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRIS TER GCOCK, 0

E NAARDEN, NETHERLANDS.

SHAFT OR RODCOUPLING.

Application filed Ll'anuaryV 11, 1924. Ierial No. 685,672.

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that L Crisis TER Coon, a

s ubjectof the Queen of Holland, and residing` at Naarden, certain new and or Relating to Shaft or Rod which I have Britain, dated Dec. 7 1922), following isa specification.

vThis invention filed an application in Netherlands, have invented useful lmprovements in Couplings (for Great of which the pling shaftsor rods together in such a manner that bereciprocated in either direction,

the shaft or rod to be moved can the couplingbeing provided with a spring whereby, should an obstacle be encountered, the coupling will be able toJ give way.

It has been proposed to solve the difficulties due'toobstruction encountered by the operated member by the interposition of a resilient coupling between the operating and the voperated axially aligned shafts or rods.

In order to effect speed changes in driving gears such as,'for example,

are used in motor vehicles, gear wheels or clutch members are shifted: axially by means of striker rods each of which,

be shifted in oppositedirections,

two gears. The striker rods by being arranged to controls are actuated by some kind of gear selecting device-for instance agate change automatically operated. ample, my Patent device hand lever or semisuch, for exas is described in the specification of No.. 194628-comprising axially movable members or rods which are rigidly connected to the striker rods of the gear box. Such a rigid connection, however, is unsuitable, in several respects, for the smooth and correct functioning of the device.

lhen the two gear wheels in meeting do not at once interengage not only a re-actionary shock but also a rattling noise is produced, while moreover, the selector device from completi-iig its neither the gears nor ber can be is prevented movement so that the controlling memlocked until meshing takes place.

If the gear selector device is mounted indpendently of the speed gear box it may happen that the connected rods of the two devices are not accurately in so that their operation can only under considerable pressure.

alignment be effected This may be caused either by inaccurate assemblage `or in thecase of motor vehicles may occur at any moment through `twisting ofthe chassis to which the latter is always more or less subjected on uneven and rough roads.

The present invention hasfor its object to provide between such operating and the operated members an elastic coupling which combines with its adaptability for taking up, by compression or by'y expansion yof a resilient member thereof any dierence in the relative distance of the axialmovements of the two me bers due to obstructions or excessive resistance encountered bythe operated member, the further adaptability to respond independently of the resilient member to any temporary or permanent deviations from axialalignment of the operating and the operated member.

Such an elastic coupling preferably consists in the interposition between the two shafts or rods axially movable bythe push or pull action of either of the coupledmembers of a single resilientkmember'such as 'a coiled spring or rubber buffer for example, which is attached to the said two members and adapted to yield by compression or expansion to any extraneous'obstructiony or resistance which may beencountered' byl the operated member (as for instance the nonmesliing of the gear teeth in a speed gear mechanism) so that the operating member may nevertheless complete 'its stroke and its locking may be effected while 'the opm erated member, under pressure of the said resilient member, will complete its stroke as and when the teeth of the two gear wheels are in relative position enabling them to slide into engagement.

The resilient member is connected by means of Cardan or similar joints to the rod of the selecting device on the one hand and to thestriker rod on the other hand, so that not only is the device enabled to adjust itself automatically to any divergencies from straight alignment of the said two members, but the arrangement in itself permits the selecting device and the gear box to be positioned in the most convenient place without any need for consideration of straight alignment.

ln order to prevent the spring from being twisted by the action of the Cardan joints its connection therewith is effected in such a manner that such connections may perform rotary movements independently of the spring.

The accompanying drawings illustrate constructional examples embodying the invention. Y

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a flexible coupling showing one. form of my invention and,

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section of the same at right angles to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows in longitudinal section a similar construction with amoditied spring attachment, and

Fig. 4 shows a construction in which the resilient member is formed by a rubber sleeve or buffer,

In the drawings, the shifting rod 1 of the gear selecting device is connected to the striker rod 2 of the gear box, which is assumed to carry the striker fork and is to be operated in opposite axial directions. Each of the rods 1 and 2 is connected by means of a Cardan joint 3 and 4 (Figs. 1 and 3) or other universal joint to the interposed flexible coupling device.

l In the examples shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 the flexible coupling comprises a tubular casing 5 one end of which is rigidly connected to or is integral with the Cardan 'joint 3, while a cylindrical head 6 slidably mounted in the other open end of the tubular member 5, and guided by pins 61L in slots 5b in the casing 5 is connected by means of a rod 7 to the other Cardan joint 4. VA coiled spring 8 is connected at one end to the tubularv casing 5 and at its other end to the sliding head 6, in such a manner that it is enabled to rotate independently of the casing 5 and the head 6.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the ends of the spring 8 are secured to discs 9 and 10 carried concentrically to the tube 5 and rotatably on the shanksV of eye bolts 9a and 10a which are pivotally secured in recesses in the head 5a of the tube 5 and in the cylindrical block 6 respectively by means of pins or screws 1l and 12.

The guide pins 6a and slots 5b hereinbefore mentioned have the function of preventing the tubular member 5 from rotating on the cylindrical head 6 and thereby prevent the spring 8 from being twisted. It is evident that the pins 6l1 might be replaced by the` head and a projecting opposite end of the screw 12, or by shaping the casing and head vso that while the head can reciprocate in the casing it cannot rotate.

lIn the arrangement shown in Fig'. 3 the ends 8a of the spring 8 are bent out axially and screw threaded, one end being screwed directly into the block 6 and locked by a lock nut 13, while its other end is rotatably posed of a tension 16a.

bearing in a central bore in the head 5 of the tubular member 5 and retained by the two lock nuts 13a.

The working of either of these arrangements is as follows z- When the rod 1 is pushed towards the right its motion is transmitted to the rod 2 through the Cardan joint 3, spring 8 (which is of suiiicient strength to prevent it from being appreciably compressed) block, rod 7 and Cardan joint 4. Should an obstacle tend to prevent the rod 2 from moving, there will be no breakage or jamming of the parts since the continued pressure on the rod` 1 will merely compress the spring 8, so that when the obstacle is removed the spring 8 actingon the block 6 will cause the rod 2 to complete its stroke. Y

Then the rod 1 is pulled to the leftV the spring 8 will pull the block 6 with its'appendages (viz rod 7, Cardan joint 4 and rod 2)V but should the Vrod 2 be arrested by Van obstacle such as clashing of the gears Vto be engaged while the pull of the rod 1 onvthe spring 8icontinues the latterwill expand until the obstacle is removed when the spring 8 will draw the block 6 and its attached parts towards the left. Y t

Analagous performances takes place'when the rod 2 is the operating and rod 1 the operated member. Y

Instead of employing aV coiled spring, I may insert another form of resilient device, such as a cylindrical block of rubber'or a series of rubber rings with or withoutinterposed metal Vwashers maybe arranged. In such case it may be necessary to so shape the casing as to allow for lateral expansio-n of the rubber when compressed.

Such a device is shown in Fig. 4 where the rod 16 of the coupling connected to the universal joint 14 carries on its reduced extension 16a a. rubber buier 17 which may be formed as a stout rubber sleeve or be complurality of rubber rings, held washer 18 restingV against the the rod 16 and a washer 19 renut or collar 2O on the rod ex- `The washers 18 and'19 are adapted to slide in the tubular casing 21 which at one end is provided withV an inward liange 21a'gripping over the washer 18 and at its other end is connected to the striker rod 2 by means of a screw plug 22, rod 7 and universal joint 15. In order to allow for the bulging of the rubber butter under compression the casing 21a is barrel shaped as shown in the drawing.

In operationthe rubberbuifer 17 always acts under compression. When the rod 1 is pushed tothe right, the movement is 'me parted tothe striker rod 2, through the rod 16, washer 18, rubber buffer 17, washer 19, plug 22*which carries with it the casing between a shoulder of tained by a 21-rod 7 and universal joint 15. Should lso the rod 2 meet with an obstacle, the rod 1 in completing its stroke will compress the rubber buffer 17 against the washer 19 which will not move owing to the obstacle until the latter is removed whereupon the washer 19, plug and casing and attached parts will move to the right.

When the rod 1 is pulled to the left it operates directly through the rod 16, 16a and nut 2O on the washer 19 and thereby on the buffer 17, washer 18 and on the flange 21a of the casing 21. lf the movement of the rod 2 is prevented by an obstruction, the washer 18 will be held back by the flange 21 and washer 19 in completing the stroke with the rod 1 will compress the buer 17 until the obstacle disappears whereupon the spring 17 acting on the washer 18 will cause the rod 2 to move to the left.

What l claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is An elastic coupling for shafts to be moved axially by a. push or pull action of either of the coupled members, comprising a cylindrical casing annularly bulged intermediate its ends, a movable washer in each end o the casing and o substantially the same diameter as the casing, a resilient cylindrical block of substantially the same diameter as the casing interposed between the washers, one of the shafts extending into the casing and through the washers and resilient block, an abutment on the end of said shaft eXtension bearing against the outer face of one washer, a second abutment on said shaft eX- tension spaced from the iirst abutment and bearing against the outer Jface of the other washer, and stops at opposite ends o the casing to engage said washers when said shaft extension is moved in opposite directions, said cylindrical block adapted to be eompressed between the washers and said bulged portion ot' the easing being adapted to receive the compressed and expanded portion of the block.

ln testimony whereof l aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHRIS TER COCK.

Witnesses:

H. G. Krmrrnss, M. HENNiNG. 

